Top 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Priority Pickups (Week 17)

Our analysts combine to provide rankings for weekly fantasy football waiver wire targets. We’ll help you prioritize your bids for the week ahead. Check out our full expert consensus fantasy football waiver wire rankings and all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for the week. Here are our latest fantasy football waiver wire rankings and top fantasy football waiver wire pickups to target for the week.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings & Top Targets: Week 17

Note: Players chosen based upon having early-week consensus roster percent below 50%.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups to Target

Michael Carter (RB – ARI): 42% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @CIN, LAR
• True Value: $10
• Desperate Need: $18
• Budget-Minded: $6

Analysis: It appears Michael Carter is going to be Arizona’s lead back the rest of the way. After Bam Knight was carted off with an ankle injury that he sustained on the Cardinals’ first offensive play of Week 15, Carter played 80% of the Cardinals’ offensive snaps and had 14-56-0 rushing and 4-38-0 receiving in Arizona’s 40-20 loss to Houston. In Week 16, Carter played 52.6% of Arizona’s offensive snaps and had 11-65-0 with zero targets in a 26-19 loss to the Falcons. Carter gets a favorable Week 17 matchup against a bad Bengals defense that has allowed a league-high 1,924 rushing yards to running backs. Just know that the Cardinals’ offensive line has been pretty banged up, which could limit the effectiveness of the running game.

Blake Corum (RB – LAR): 41% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @ATL, ARI
• True Value: $8
• Desperate Need: $14
• Budget-Minded: $5

Analysis: Blake Corum has been on a touchdown spree, with five scores in his last four games. He’s averaged 82 rushing yards per game and 7.5 yards per carry over that stretch. Corum has to score touchdowns and be efficient as a runner to make up for a lack of volume. Although he’s had double-digit carries in three consecutive games, Corum hasn’t had more than 14 rushing attempts in any game, and he’s caught only seven passes this season. Corum typically only plays about one-third of the Rams’ offensive snaps behind starter Kyren Williams. But the Rams’ offense is a machine, helping to give Corum far more value than your run-of-the-mill backup ball-carrier. Corum gets a neutral matchup this week against the Falcons.

Tyler Shough (QB – NO): 18% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @TEN, @ATL
• True Value: $2
• Desperate Need: $4
• Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: Tyler Shough has quietly scored at least 17 fantasy points in four straight games. He’s completing 66.7% of his passes this season and averaging a respectable 6.9 yards per pass attempt. He’s completed at least 65% of his throws in five consecutive starts. Shough adds value as a runner, too, with 135 rushing yards and two touchdown runs over his last five starts. Shough gets an appealing Week 17 matchup against the Titans, who had given up the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks entering Week 16.

Raheim Sanders (RB – CLE): 0% Rostered

• Next Opponents: PIT, @CIN
• True Value: $5
• Desperate Need: $8
• Budget-Minded: $2

Analysis: With Quinshon Judkins sustaining a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula on Sunday, and with Dylan Sampson and Jerome Ford sidelined by injuries of their own, the Browns turned to rookie Raheim Sanders, aka “Rocket.” After Judkins was injured, Sanders had 11 carries for 42 yards against the Bills, along with a four-yard catch. Ford is on injured reserve (IR). Sampson has been out with a hand injury, and it’s unclear whether he’ll return this week. If he can’t, Sanders could be in line for most of the early-down work against the Steelers. An undrafted free agent, Sanders had a 1,443-yard rushing season as a sophomore for Arkansas in 2022. He played only six games in 2023, then had a decent but unspectacular final college season after transferring to South Carolina. It’s worth monitoring Sampson’s status this week because if he’s able to come back, he would most likely serve as the lead back. And even if Sampson remains out and Sanders is a workhorse against Pittsburgh this week, the myriad injuries plaguing Cleveland’s offensive line could limit Sanders’ production.

Colston Loveland (TE – CHI): 43% Rostered

• Next Opponents: @SF, DET
• True Value: $1
• Desperate Need: $2
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: Colston Loveland has caught at least three passes in 10 straight games dating back to mid-October. He had a modest three catches for 30 yards on four targets in Saturday night’s win over the Packers — disappointing numbers considering that the Bears were playing without injured receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. If either or both remain out, Loveland should have an enhanced target outlook in the Bears’ Week 17 game against the 49ers.